BRITISH INDIAN bhangra artist Balwinder Safri has been discharged from the hospital after being in a coma for 86 days following heart surgery, according to reports.
His wife Nikki Davitt called the recovery 'a miracle' as Safri's family had been told to prepare for the worst. "He is incredible - I always knew he was strong," she said. "I will never ever forget hearing Safri say 'yes I can hear you' - I was overcome with emotion."
Birmingham native Safri, 63, was admitted to the hospital on April 20. After two days he underwent a planned triple bypass but suffered complications and was taken back to the theatre for further surgery.
The singer remained in a coma as scans revealed signs of damage to his brain.
When he left the hospital, the singer was treated to a special music and dhol drum serenade by a friend and fellow The Safri Boyz member, Bhupinder Kullar - better known as Tubsy.
Safri had a stroke in 2000 and doctors said he would struggle to walk normally, but he had made a full recovery later.
"There were so many times when we thought 'this is it'. I remember a call from critical care one night and they asked me to come to the hospital as soon as I could as they didn't think Safri was going to make it through the night, but he always pulled through," his wife was quoted as saying by the BBC.
The Punjab-born artist has been part of the UK bhangra scene since 1980, forming the Safri Boyz Band in 1990.
According to reports, Safri will now continue his recovery journey at a specialist rehabilitation centre, which will help with his mobility and his speech and language.
Kulsuma Aktergetty images